Percussion fuse



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Horny ft i i JUNGHANS, 0F SCHRAMBERG, GERMANY; SIEGFRIED JUNGHANS ADMINIST;

TOR F SAID OSKAR JUNGHANS, DECEASED.

Application led October 1926, Serial No. 140,106, and in Germany May 21, 1926.I

My invention relates to percussion fuses and more particularly to that sort of fuses in which the igniting or percussion pin normally is located entirely within the casing so as to be concealed and out of sight but is removed from such position so as to project from the top face of the fuse, upon firing.

The object of my invention is to provide a percussion fuse of the stated type with a 110 sa et mechanism adapted to act in a most relia le manner so that there will be no danger or risk of ignition at the transport or handling or in the gun upon firing.

With this object in view the safety mechanism of the' fuse is constructed and arranged, according to the invention, in al manner that both the usual percussion cap and the igniting charge or body employed for transmitting the explosion of the said cap to the explosive charge of the projectile are held in a safe position and prevented from occupying the firingl position upon firing of the gun or ordnance, until acertain period of time controlled by a clockwork, will have elapsed.

With the. above recited object in view,

Ereference is had to the following specification and drawingsin which there is exhibited one example or embodiment of the invention which is in noway intended as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims as Vit is to be clearly understood that variations and 'modifications which fairly -fall within the true sco e of said claims ma be resorted to when ibuxd ex edient.

the accompanying drawings orming a part of this specification wherein like characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

of the fuse with the improved safety device;

Figure 2 is a similar section but displaced for 90 and with the outer casing removed;

Figures 3 to 6 are cross-sections taken on 4.6 the lines A-B, (1 -D, E-F and Cir-H,

respectively.

The initing or percussion pin 1 is axially mounte in the top end of the fuse in the usual manner, that is so as to be displaceable lengthwise therein. The upper part of the pin is preferably made of a suitable light metal whilst the lower part thereof forming the striking point, ismade of steel and provided with two diametrically opposed recesses'2 for the reception of two sliding bars Figure 1 is a longitudinal vcentral section`l -3 which normally, that is prior to firing and subsequent impact, enga e in said recesses so as to lock the pinvan hold the same in safe position, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. In this locked position of the pin l the spring 4 encirclin the same and abutting against a collar o the pin is under tension, While the two sliding bars 3 are in turn locked by two lengthwise displaceable vertical rods 5 having each an annular recess for the accommodation of the two ends of a yoked spring 6 which thus acts to hold the two rods 5 in their locking positions, as will be seen in Figures 2 and 4. Engaged with the two bolts 5 are the ends of the balance 7 vof a clockwork so that the bolts are properly arrested and prevented from accidental movement. l'

I desire to have it understood that the particular mechanism which I have described thus far, for the purpose of locking thepercussion pin, is simply one which has commended itself to me, but which is not at all necessaryysince other locking means maypbe used in lieu thereof.

The percussion cap Z is mounted on a. plate 8 supporting a fly-weight 9 and pivotally `mounted so as to be capable of rotation about thepivot 10.v The ily-weight 9 is elongated to form a stud engaging, g5 through .a segmental slot 11 of an interp mediate plate of the fuse body, in a toothed sector 12 which islikewise ivotally mounted on the pin or pivot 10. 4 he said toothed sector 12sis positively connected with the balance 7- by means of a train of'` wheels comprising a pinion 13, a spur gear 14, a pinion 15 and a balance wheel 16, so as to e controlled by the latter, the balance 7 being mounted on the upper journal of the g5 pinion 13 and capable of oscillating thereabout. I

In the position of the movable parts of the fuse shown in the drawings, the percussion pin 1 is locked by the sliding bars 3 100 with its lower end extending through an axial Jbore of the pinion 13 and centrally through an aperture 21 of the late 8, see Fig. 5, which aperture lis space from the axis of the pivot 10 the same distance as the 105 percussion ca Z mounted in the plate 8 or in other wor s, the centres of the aperture 21 and of the cap Z liein the'same arc of a circle described about the axis of the pin 10 so vthat when the axis of the pin 1 coin- 1w cides with the centre of the aperture 21 as shown in the drawings, the percussion cap Z necessarily must'occupy a position laterally or out of the path of the pin 1 as will be readily understood .on inspection of Figure 2. l

The plate 8 is in contact with the head of a locking pin 18 vcontrolled by a spring 17- coiled about the lower end thereof, and engaging with its' lower extremity in a bore of a disc-shaped heavyV plate 19 5 mounted on a pin 20 so as to be revoluble thereabout. The plate or disc 19 carries an explosive body U1 for transmitting ignition from the cap Z and the ,igniting charge S to the explosive charge of the projectile. As will be seen the movable igniting body U:L normally lies eccentrically displaced with relation to the axis of the fuse or the pin 1 or, in other words, in staggered relationship to the upper portion S of' the igniting charge and the lower portion U2, see Figure 2, the two igniting explosive bodies S and U2 being stationary and occupying a central position in axial alinement with the pin 1.

It will be seen that in the described arrangement the igniting charge of the fuse is divided to comprise three portions S, U1 and U2 and is normally interrupted inasmuch as the portion U1' thereof is eccentrically displaced therefrom and the heavy body of the plate 19 is interposed between the portions S and U2 of the igniting charge in substitutionfor the intermediate portion U1 thereof, with the result that should ignition of the main ignition charge S occur accidentallyv .in manipulating the projectile,

on transport or untimely upon firing, there will be no danger of an explosionA of the projectile since .the ignition will remain limited to the charge S and cannot be transmitted to the explosive charge of the projectile, as there is no communication between the explosive bodies S and U2.

The clockwork obtains lits motive power h by the retarding effect of the rotor 8.

The operation of the safety mechanism in the fuse is as follows:

Upon ring the two axially displaceable locklng rods 5 will ily back owing to shock action, so that the two sliding bars 3 and the balance 7 ofthe clockwork are unlocked. Due to centrifugal action evolved by the rotation of the projectile, the two sliding bars 3 then slide radially outwards and away from the pin l which thus will be free to ily forwards under the action of the spring 4 to occupy the impact position indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 1. At the same time the weighted plate 8 carrying the percussion cap Z is released and caused by centrifugal action to turn about the pivot 10 in the direction of the arrow depicted in Figure 5, but the rotation of the plate 8 is retarded by the mentioned clockwork so that the cap Z will not at once be brought to the igniting position or in coaxial alinement with the in 1 but after a predeter mined length o? time dependingupon the adjustation of the clockwork. Simultaneously therewith the aperture 21 of the plate 8 through which the pin 1 projected prior to its movement .into the impact position, will occupy a position over and above the top of the locking pin 18 so that the latter can rise under the pressure of its sprin 17 and thereby be disengaged from the 'scshaped heavy plate 19.A The thus liberated plate. or disc 19 then will be free to turn about its pivot 2O due to centrifugal action, to occupy a position in which the igniting body U will be in axial alinement with the pin and with the igniting bodies S and U2 so as to form a uniting link between the two bodies S and U2.

In this way the igniting charge of the fuse comprising the three portions or bodies S, Ul and U2 will form, upon the ring of a shot, an uninterrupted communication between the percussion ca Z and the main igniting char e L, see Figure l, so that upon impact o `the projectile the explosive charge of the latter will be ignited.

What I claim is:

1. A percussion fuse in which the percussion pin normally lies concealed within the casing of the fuse comprising a percussion cap, a divided igniting charge composed of a plurality of single explosive bodies which normally occupy safe positions so as not to communicate with each other, but which upon firing are permitted to communicate with each other for the purpose of igniting the explosive charge o the projectile, means for ensuring the safe and active positions of the said explosive bodies, forming the igniting charge, and means including a clockwork for retarding the interconnection of the said bodies to active position for a predetermined length of time.after ring.

2. A percussion fuse in which the percussion pin normally lies concealed within the casing of the fuse, comprising a percussion cap, a divided igniting charge composed of a plurality of single explosive or lgnitin bodies, a plate carrying'the said cap an adapted to rotate about a stationary pivot, an aperture in said plate for the percusslon pin to normally engage therein, so that the percussion cap will occupy a lateral pos1- -tion'out of the way of the said pin, a li weight attached to the said plate, a cloc work operativel connected with the said plate thro'ugh t e agency of the said iiyweight, a disc adapted to rotate about a sta- -tionary pivot and carrying one of the several igniting bodies and a spring-controlled lockin pin adapted to normally lock the said disc with the igniting body thereon in safe or eccentric position, and lo be arrested l0 a percussion pin concealed Withinjhe casing;

a plurality of single explosive bodies arranged in spaced relation in the casing, said bodies being in communication with each other so that uponiring the explosive charge will be ignited; and means including a clockwork for retarding the interconnection of the said bodies to activity for a predetermined length of time after firing.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

DR. OSKAR JUNGHANS. 

